The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli
by YFWE
Summary: Jake and Grandpa take off to try and find Mamas Lyoli, whom they believe could be a dangerous shapeshifter. CH. 4 UP! I pity da fool who don't read it!
1. Default Chapter

I have returned! Go me! I actually got around to writing something (track...every day...no time to write...grr). This one's a continuation of "The Friends My Dad Had". If you haven't read it yet, you should! Because I wrote it! Isn't that reason enough? Ok. Oh, and thanks to hillyhp2590 For the recommendation on what ethnicity Mamas Lyoli might be. I haven't any clue, and I'm just gonna go with what you said. You must be very smart. You're my idol 00

Ok, enough of that. Read!

And... I don't own this show or any characters in it. I do own Mamas Lyoli and you don't. You wish you did, but I beat you to her! You got served!

BTW, I hated that movie. Now on with tha story!

"The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli"

By: YourFavoriteWriterEver

Sadness. No, wait. Not sadness. He had no reason to be sad. So... what was the feeling? It wasn't happiness. Wasn't anger. Just... confused. Yeah, that was it. Confusion. Jake Long was very, very confused. Why? Well, he wasn't sure what to think. He thought he had just a day before witnessed the death of his Grandpa... but then he wasn't really dead... and then the nurse... wasn't a nurse... maybe not even human... then there was the question of Mamas Lyoli- who was he/she? Where was he/she? Why did Jake have to be so confused? He was hoping that Grandpa had the answers. Unfortunately, relying on Grandpa did not prove useless this time.

"So... you've never heard of Mamas Lyoli, Gramps? I thought you knew everyone magical in this city", Jake said.

"Ah, I thought that I did. Apparently, I was wrong. However, even though all things point to it, we cannot be sure that Mamas Lyoli IS magical. This could be some kind of misunderstanding from Harry Jefferson."

"Yeah, unfortunately I don't think that's true", Jake replied. "I think that the nurse that was in your room... was Mamas Lyoli, but in another form. D'you think she (they were at least sure she was female) could be a shapeshifter?"

Grandpa looked toward the sky in thought, "Could be. And it is possible that the reason why I have not heard of her is because she could be new in the area."

Jake nodded, "So... now what?"

"We will be wanting to pay a little visit to the bazaar that you went to once before with Fu Dog (i.e. episode "Dragon Breath" on TV- not quite sure of the actual name, if any). I am sure there are some that could give us some information on Mamas Lyoli. Come, let us be off."

(End)

The bazaar was pretty busy; much more than when Jake was there before. It was a sort of homecoming for Grandpa; he hadn't been there for a few days since he was in the hospital. Jake saw many that he did know (like Jasmine the Nix, the Mermaid Sisters, etc.), and some he didn't know. However, Grandpa never stopped. He definitely looked as if he was on a mission. And he was.

"Lao! Good to see you! I heard about the thing with the werewolf... looks like you're okay", said a man behind the counter of a department store they had just entered. Jake looked around. The store seemed to be a potions store; green, blue, and red vials sat on shelves surrounding the small-yet-well-stocked store. The man behind the counter was kind of short, stocky, and looked a little Spanish.

"Ah, Pancho. How has it been for you? I have not seen you in a while. The place looks nice", Grandpa replied. "This is my grandson, Jake. I do not think you have met him." He pushed Jake forward. "Shake his hand, Jake. Be courteous", he whispered.

"Er, oh, yeah, sorry! Nice to meet you...", Jake stared at Pancho's outstretched hand. It was missing some fingers.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Jake. So, what is the occasion. You know, we have just about everything. Hm, let's see here...", Pancho wandered off, scanning the aisles and shelves of the store, "Ah, here we are. Trouble with the spouse? Try Webster's New Infatuation Potion! Use it to rekindle that love that you either once had or never did have! Works in one second! Not the case? Maybe it's that you feel just slow some mornings. If that's what's up, try the European Speedy Jump Start Potion to get you runnin' fast in the morning. And good news!",he grinned at them, "It's Ephedra free! Now what say you to that?"

"That sounds...amusing, Pancho", Grandpa said, "However, that is not why we are here.."

"Oh, if that's not what you need, just keep looking around- I have just about everything on the market!"

"Pancho! That is not why we are here!", yelled Grandpa, who then lowered his tone, "We do not need potions. We need some answers. Maybe you can help us out."

"Hmm, I can try. What's up?"

Grandpa leaned in close to him, "How well do you know your customers?"

Pancho thought about it for a moment, "Ummm... well, I know some of them well, some I'm just on a first name basis. Why?"

"Okay. Have you heard of anyone by the name of... Mamas Lyoli?"

Pancho's eyes widened. He averted his gaze to the floor. "Uh, no. Never heard of her."

"Ah, but apparently you do. After all, you know she is female", Grandpa smiled.

Pancho kept his gaze to their feet. "Uh... just a lucky guess. Yeah, just a guess! I've never heard of her! Honest!"

"Okay, Pancho. I believe you." They turned to leave. "Thank you anyway", he called as they walked out the door. Then he turned to Jake, "He is lying. I am sure of it. This means that Mamas Lyoli has been here before. I feel we are coming close."

As they walked down the road, Jake looked back for just a second... and saw Pancho. Putting the "closed" sign in the window. Trying to sneak out undetected. Pancho stared in their direction, and saw Jake staring right back at him. He gasped, before taking off running in the other direction. "Grandpa", Jake yelled, "He's..."

Grandpa whirled around and, seeing Pancho sprinting off in the opposite direction, quickly changed into his dragon form and flew toward Pancho.

He had to admit; Pancho was pretty fast; but he was not as fast as a dragon. Grandpa tackled him from behind, the two falling to the ground. Jake followed, now in dragon form as well.

Grandpa flipped Pancho over, growling in his face. "Oh, look, Lao. I really don't want any trouble. I just..."

"Wanted to go and report to Mamas Lyoli that we're coming to get her? Bad idea, man", Jake snarled.

"You know something! Tell us, and we just might let you go... but only because I like you", Grandpa said. Pancho winced. He obviously did not want to be involved in this. But still, he must've valued his life (he was just a lowly Ivermase, after all. He was like a wizard, only was powerless without an Ivermase Wand, which he did not appear to have), because he began speaking.

"Yes, yes, I'll tell you! First of all, I am in no way associated with Mamas. I was simply told to tell her if anyone asked about her!"

"Hm, sounds like you're associated with her to me!", Jake said. "You were supposed to report to her!"

"Well... yes. Okay, so maybe I was! Now please, can I go now? I'm not going to tell her. It can be... our little secret?"

"Unfortunately, I do not trust you", Grandpa replied. "And furthermore, we are not finished with you yet. I asked you earlier and I will ask you again- what do you know about Mamas Lyoli?"

Pancho sighed. "Look, man. All I know is that she came in the other day and placed an order for some kind of venom. Is supposed to kill a person in two hours. Unfortunately, it was one of the few things I do not have here. So I told her, I says "I'll have to order it", alright? She's like "Okay, I will be back in two days. In the meantime, do not tell anyone I'm here". So I did. No one asked, though. Then, the potion came in and so did she. She took it and left, telling me still not to tell anyone she was here, and she told me where she was going to be. That was two days ago. I haven't seen her since." He looked up at Grandpa. "That's all I know."

Grandpa nodded, "That will help." He decided to speed it up, now that there was a crowd gathering, "Just tell me: what did she look like?"

"And more importantly, where is she staying?", Jake added.

Pancho sighed again, "Long black hair, kinda short. She was mostly in a cape, though. She also looked kind of Indian. Or Mexican. I'm not very good on the whole background thing. However, some people say I look kinda Mexican, so..." He grinned.

"Okay, okay, WAY too much info there, man. Just tell us where she's staying", Jake winced.

"Oh, sure. Someplace called the Subway Inn. I've personally never heard of the place, but I've also never been that deep in the bazaar. You know, past Bernie's Boom Shack. Not many people go that far. Which is probably why she's in that far." And with that Grandpa let him go. Which was enough for Pancho. He took back off toward his shop, waving goodbye as he left.

"Well, strange as that was, at least we've got our answers. So now what, Gramps? Are we gonna go in an' get her, or what?", Jake asked. But Grandpa just stood there, thinking.

"Jake, I want to ask you something", he said, reverting back to human form, "Mamas Lyoli- she is a shapeshifter, correct?"

"Yeah... why?"

"Well, it could be possible that Mamas Lyoli... is not really Mamas Lyoli. That identity could simply be one of her false identities. This is why I do not like dealing with shapeshifters. They are just too unpredictable. We shall still go to the Subway Inn. We will simply have to be more careful."

"Sure, Grandpa, whatever you say", Jake said, as they made their way toward the supposed location of the shapeshifter Mamas Lyoli.

END OF CHAPTER

No cliffhanger, or at least if any a mild one, for once!

Alrighty then, I have finished the first chapter. This one was actually kinda fun to write; more so than the last one I did. So, I hope you all like it (hello... anyone out there? I hope there is:D ) , and please read and review! Really! I need to know what I'm doing right and wrong! So please review:falls onto hands and knees and begs for own cause:

Okay, that's enough of that. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long to update as it did to put out a new fic just now. See you all later, and salute the colonel! (The KFC colonel... what were YOU thinking?)


	2. The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli: Pt2

Good day, all nice and patient peoples! I'm gonna get to the point here, which is what anyone currently reading this wants to see- the next chapter.. Here it is, everyone!

"The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli: Strikes Back"

The Subway Inn was named appropriately- it was directly under the path of the New York subway. It was a good place to stay; the problem was that the constant rattling of the subway overhead annoyed the visitors. The inn shook, pictures fell off the walls: not a very peaceful place. That would make it a perfect spot to lay low for a while, what with the lack of crowds. That was what Mamas Lyoli was probably doing in there. If she even was there. However, Pancho DID seem scared. He knew his place, and likely wouldn't try to fool two dragons, right? Well, they'd find out soon enough.

"Sigh. May I help you?" asked the troll running the service desk at the Subway Inn. The troll, a she, looked as if she'd seen better days, as well as seen better sleep. She looked around fifty in Jake's opinion, although he did know that trolls lived longer, so she could be... wow.

"Yes, we were wondering if you might have a guest staying here that we are looking for. Her name is Mamas Lyoli", replied Grandpa

"Hm...", said the troll as she thumbed through the guest records, "No, don't see anyone. Sure you've got the right place? I mean, there's the Hawk's Nest down the road... quieter, more popular, pays more...", she sighed.

Jake and Grandpa bowed to her and walked back outside. Outside, you could hear the subway going by, complete with the crashing of pictures and screaming of people inside the inn.

"So... now what, Gramps?", asked Jake. "Apparently, she's not there."

"Not so, Jake", replied Grandpa, "Remember when we were discussing the possibility that Mamas Lyoli may not be Mamas Lyoli at all?"

"Yeah. So you think that Mamas Lyoli is this person's disguise?"

"Not necessarily. I believe that Mamas Lyoli is in fact the one we are dealing with. She has just cleverly checked in under a different name. I do not think that Pancho would've lied to us. Unfortunately, we have no way to find her... in the hotel. We may want to go back to Pancho; maybe we can coax some more information out of him."

(End)

"And what do you suppose that we can ask him? Or, what more than we've already asked?", asked Jake as they neared Pancho's store.

"Well, I am not sure. Maybe he will know where Mamas Lyoli sometimes goes besides the Subway Inn", Grandpa replied, "That is all we can really do at the moment."

"Yeah, I see", Jake said, "Okay, was this the place?"

It was. The actual name of the place, something Jake hadn't noticed before, was Pancho's Potions. (Alliteration...whassupwitdat?) It wasn't the coolest building to be seen on the road, as it was simply brown with the paint peeling, but it seemed to be the second busiest, next to the Hot Dog Stand that was placed right in front of Pancho's store. They were about to walk inside, when Grandpa motioned for him to stay outside. Straining their ears to listen, they overheard the distinct voice of Pancho telling someone inside to "go back there. I'll be back there in a second". "I am not positive, but I have a feeling that we may need to go through the back."

"Er, Gramps, is there a back door?", he asked as he eyed the window. As Pancho was helping a previous customer, he was signaling for a dark figure to go into the back of the store. The figure seemed older, judging by the way she was bent over slightly, and was covered with a long black cape and a black hat...

"It's her! Mamas Lyoli, Grandpa!", Jake whispered fiercely, "She's in the store! All we have to do is jump in there, I go KA-POW, and we're out! It's not like Pancho could do anything to stop us!" He turned back to the window. Pancho was no longer behind the counter. "C'mon! They're both back there now! Let's go an' get 'em both!" But as he continued to watch the window, he soon saw that Grandpa was already inside, scurrying along as an old man does. "Hey! Wait!", Jake exclaimed as he ran inside the store.

"What took you so long, young one?", asked Grandpa, "I thought I would have to do this alone." He peeked around the corner, only to have his face inches away from Pancho's shirt! It was a wonder that Pancho did not know that they had come in. Close by, straining themselves not to breathe heavily, they listened in on the conversation between the two.

"Mamas Lyoli! What a pleasure it is to see you again! How are things?", asked Pancho right off the bat. He seemed happy to see her... maybe just a little too happy.

"Cut it out, Pancho, we don't have to act like that anymore. Or should I say... Natalie?"

Before either Jake or Grandpa could comprehend what she had just said, Pancho's form quickly shifted into that of a young, brown-haired girl. It was Natalie Portman.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: For all of those who didn't read "You Raise Me Up", also by me, Natalie Portman is the girl that Jake rescues from the burning building. If you'd like to know what happens, go ahead and read it already! Ooh, I love a twist, even if it is just minor.)

Jake was just about as surprised as Grandpa. Natalie Portman... a girl from his school... almost revealed him as a dragon... non-magical as he thought... was in reality a shapeshifter. And a deadly one at that. Another apprenticeship- just as Jake had with Grandpa. (And, of course, for those who watch the show, between Rose/Huntsgirl and her uncle- one that as I write this Jake does not know about yet, but will, let me assure you!) Grandpa was flattered since he had just witnessed Pancho change into someone he was not. Was Pancho always... this girl? Like he said, this is why Grandpa did not like shapeshifters.

"Aah, it feels so good to be out of that body, Grandma!", Natalie told Mamas Lyoli, who must've been her Grandma... which meant Mamas was a real person. "You know how much I hate being in guy's bodies. It's just... weird, y'know?"

"Oh, after a while, you get used to it", Mamas replied, "Now, why I am here. Did anyone come and ask about me?"

"Yeah, an' you're not gonna believe who! Jake Long, this kid from my school, he was here! With his grandpa, who is that Lao Shin guy that Pancho knew and you wanted to know if he came. Well, they came! I wonder if Jake was that dragon all along! Whoa."

"Interesting. So they were asking for me, eh?", asked Mamas, "Well then I guess we'll have to pay a little visit to them. How's that dirty little Ivermase?"

"Pancho? Still in the closet. I took his wand away; he's useless. I dunno what we're gonna do Monday when I've gotta go back to school.(It was Saturday.) Y'think this whole thing will be settled by then?"

"Oh, entirely", Mamas replied, "What we came for; it is almost obtainable. Just within our grasp."

Meanwhile, from behind the corner, Jake asked Grandpa, "So they're here for something? Do you know what that is?"

Grandpa, to Jake's surprise, nodded his head- up and down, that is. "In some folklore, there is talk about an ancient stone. The stone looks quite normal, except for the fact that it has a small "S" on it. This stone is supposed to be the lifeforce for a shapeshifter. In only grave times to they need it. They either need it for if one of their own is on his deathbed, or they are appointing a new member into their group."

"Natalie", said Jake. He looked up at Grandpa, "So they're looking for this stone. Looks like any other stone. Except for an S on it. Well, that seems easy enough. There's just one thing. No, two. First, why would them getting it be a bad thing. It doesn't seem like there's any harming it. And second, where is it? And how could they find it if it looks like any other stone? Grandpa, you confuse me sometimes. No, make that most of the time."

"Well then, you will know shortly. As you obviously do not know, the Council does not exactly approve the presence of shapeshifters in this area. However, if the shapeshifters are, in fact, not bad people and have been cleared by the Council, then they are okay. But there is only one in this area. His name is James Corbett. But he is not important as I believe he never comes out of his house. Still, it is easy for them to get into the city as they can simply disguise themselves as someone or something else. In fact, in earlier years, I had a partner in my business that worked alongside me for ten years. I never knew that she was a shapeshifter until the Council literally came to the front door (they don't do that much anymore) of my business and told me of her nature and how she escaped. But, back on topic, shapeshifters lose their powers if they are not exposed to this stone by the age of 15. That's why it is so important. And second, shapeshifters have unlimited resources, if you know what I mean. (Jake didn't. He was a little slow today.) They should have no problem finding it. It's possible they could've been looking for it for years, but the Council had it for some time while their numbers were high. They released it again just recently, although I don't know where. That is what they're looking for, and it would be a bad thing if they were to find it.

"...How right you are!", came a voice from behind them. It was Mamas Lyoli. How long had they been listening in? She walked into the room where they were listening. "You're right, I do need that stone. Do you realize how many possible shapeshifters have been striped of their powers and have been forced to live a normal life? A very good amount. All my brothers and sisters. All my children. Even most of my grandchildren." She motioned toward Natalie, who was staring intently at Jake, "Natalie is the last one. If she is unable to touch that stone, the shapehifters' legacy will be finished as soon as I die. For my great-grandchildren will be unable to have powers because their grandparents do not have them. The powers will be cut of forever. That is why Natalie must touch that stone, and you will not stop us!" She motione for Natalie, and Natalie quickly transformed into a wolf, snarling at them before lunging toward them both.

"DRAGON UP!", yelled Jake as he became a dragon. His Grandpa, also is dragon form, stood beside him. Natalie was able to knock the both of them on the ground, giving her and Mamas just enough time to escape.

"This is the end, Lao! There is no way you could catch us now!", she called as they ran out the door, "But if you wish to try, come and follow us! We will be happy to give you a challenge!" And with that, both of them became ravens and flew off... in an eastern direction.

"Damn, we lost 'em", Jake sighed, "So are we gonna go after them?"

"But of course, Jake! If we are able to stop them, all shapeshifters will forever be gone from here! It is almost mandatory of us. All we will do is follow them. They will, in theory, lead us there, and then we can grab it, and it will all be over. So, are you with me?"

"Aren't I ever?", Jake replied, as they flew out the door and toward Mamas Lyoli and Natalie, hearing the faint beating of a closet door inside the store as they left.

END OF CHAPTER

Alright, I finally finished it! I was hoping to get it up before my Spring Break, but that didn't exactly pan out. So here I am, at 8:00 in the morning, finishing this up after getting to the Dayton Airport from Dallas-Fort Worth at 2:00 last night. Plus a thirty minute drive afterward and the baggage claim took forever! -- Oh well. So, read and review (PLEASE!) And be patient once again and I'll hopefully have the final chapter up soon. Also, be looking for a new one by me after this, called "Dragon in Paradise". (Got the idea on Spring Break, of course.) Have a wonderful day or days!


	3. The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli: Pt3

Part Three! Yay! At the moment that I type this, it is only a few days removed from my last update. However, that is not likely going to be the time that this is updated. Reason being, I just have SO MUCH CRAP TO DO RIGHT NOW! Track every day, a grounding, just like KrazieShadowNinja, it just sucks right now! That also means that my other project, "Dragon in Paradise", could possibly not be out for a while. – I hate my life. Of course, it IS my decision to do this stuff. Oh well. Enough of my rambling. Here's the last chapter. Thinking caps on; this one could actually make you think a little!

The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli:The Last One!

"Er, Grandpa? Could ya tell me again exactly WHY we're followin' 'em?", Jake asked, as the two, in dragon form, flew carefully over the tops of the New York skyscrapers so as to not be seen. "I mean, wouldn't it be easier just to let 'em go, and then there'd be no more problems!"

Grandpa must've known that that question was gonna come out of Jake's mouth, because he was already shaking his head, "Were you not listening earlier? We want to remove shapeshifters from this city. If we can get that stone from them, or, get to it before they do, then it will all be over soon. You do not realize how much that would mean to Grandpa."

It must've meant a lot. Grandpa flew faster and faster; Jake was having trouble keeping up. Soon, the two ravens that were Mamas Lyoli and Natalie were spotted. And they were headed toward... the New York Zoo. Why would they be going to the zoo? Suddenly, one of the ravens veered off course, soaring down to the streets. It was the smaller of the two. Natalie. Jake was about to go down after her, when Grandpa pulled him back up.

"Do not worry about her, Jake", he said, "I do not believe that she will be a problem. Mamas Lyoli is the one that we will have to follow." So they did. And soon found themselves in the middle of the zoo.

They touched down where Grandpa thought he'd seen the raven last. They changed back to human, walking slowly until they came to a large oak tree that was apparently was part of the exhibit. However, they had not yet seen anyone or anything... even the raven. That's when they saw the symbol.

It was seemingly etched into the bark of the tree. It was also glowing. Grandpa and Jake got closer to see what it was.

It was a zebra. An etching of a zebra. What could a zebra have to do with anything? Unless if that's what they were to be looking for. Morphing back into dragon form, the two looked beyond the tree.

There were so many animals. Well actually, only three. But still. There was an elephant. A fox. But finally, they saw the zebra. It was off in a smaller corner of the exhibit. Carefully; it didn't seem to realize they were there; Jake went up to it... and quickly grabbed it around its waist. (Which wasn't exactly an easy thing. You try doing that. That is, if you ever see a zebra. I heard there was some wild ones over in New Jersey... just kidding. I pity da fool who believed me.) The zebra jerked quickly, obviously wanting to get out, but Jake had a firm grip. "Haha, we got her! What now, y' old hag!"

But his laughter was soon replaced with disbelief, as her laughing could be heard... but not from the zebra. Jake looked to see Grandpa staring at... the elephant! They watched as the elephant morphed into a raven, and flew away, still laughing.

Jake let go of the zebra, dumbfounded. As was Grandpa. What had just happened? The symbol was a zebra... right? They rushed back to the tree, but the symbol was gone. "Okay, I am, like, SO confused right now. Why was she an elephant and not a zebra, like the tree said?"

"Good question. Maybe we simply misread it. Let us follow her. We will get her."

(End)

Flashback

There was a knock at the door. Who could it be? I hurried quickly to the door. "I am coming, coming! Just a moment!", I yelled, opening the door finally. There before me stood... a tall man, black hair, black trenchcoat, black... everything. "Mr. Shin?", he asked. I nodded. He smiled. "May I come in for a moment?" I let him in. It seemed as if I had no choice. Turning the store's sign to "closed", I pulled the man up a chair and sat down with him.

"Mr. Shin, my name is Art Grint. I am a part of...", he lowered his voice to a whisper, "The Council." I gasped. The Council? As in the magical world Council? Here in my shop? What was going on?

I struggled to bring myself to reply back, "Hello, how are you. What is your reason for your visit?"

Art looked me in the eye. "It's about your partner, Sharon. Sharon Reynolds."

"What has happened to her?"

"It has come to our attention that..."

End Flashback

The two dragons continued to follow the raven, still questioning, still dumbfounded. They were headed toward the other side of the zoo. This time, the raven landed in a clearing. Flying up over the trees, they landed down in the middle, looking for another symbol.

It wasn't hard to find. It was right at their feet. This time... it was a walrus. A walrus. With no water in sight. Okay...

There was a bull and a lion there as well. None of these animals really went together. That's what made it all the more confusing. Still, they would follow the symbol. This time, Grandpa went up to the symbolized animal. Meanwhile, Jake kept a close eye on the other two, just in case.

Grandpa was very close to the walrus now. Jake took his eye off the other two, just to see their supposed moment of triumph. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, that was a bad idea, because as soon as he did, the laughing began again. They whirled around quickly, but... the bull had already become a raven again and was flying off in another direction.

"Aw, hell no!", yelled Jake. They had been outsmarted again! How much longer could this possibly go on?

"Jake, Mamas Lyoli... she is quite wily, as you see. We now know, at least, that this will not be easy. This next time, be very patient. We shall see what happens." Grandpa said. Hey, it was a plan. Why not stick to it?

(End)

Flashback

"... that Sharon Reynolds is not a real person. Your business partner... for three years... was in fact someone else." This got my attention. Sharon, my partner, my friend... was what they possibly called in this country, a mole or something of that nature. But in no way was I expecting what he told me next. "Sharon is not a real person, because she is a shapeshifter. The shapeshifter simply took that identity. Why? We don't exactly know. It was likely because she was hiding. From us, the Council. But we've figured her out. That's all that we needed to tell you. She hasn't been here yet... because we intercepted her on the way here. She could be anywhere. We may need to ask you a few questions over the next few days." I understood that. But I had on question, "Who is she really?" Art stared up for a moment, before looking back at me, "Her real name is...

END Flashback

This was getting old. Mamas Lyoli was just... so hard to catch. Of course, they'd known she would be. But still... if you had gone through this, wouldn't you be at least a little frustrated? So, they continued to follow the raven. All the while, trying to find out where she was going. All the while, trying to figure out where Natalie had gone. And Jake... all the while, trying to figure out why the hell they were following the raven. Dragons could fly faster than ravens, he was almost sure of it! However, he stayed back. Only because Grandpa was staying back. Maybe there was more to this.

The main reason that Grandpa was not advancing on her was because he was in very deep thought. Remembering that day... when he found out Sharon was a shapeshifter. But in his old age, he had forgotten her real name. What was it? It wasn't Lyoli, was it? Lyoli...Lyoli... didn't sound familiar. He hoped to figure it out soon. But enough for now. The eagle...(er..raven. What's this line from?)had landed. And they were now in Central Park.

They were surprised to find this one's symbol in the air... right in front of them. It was a bull. Wait! A bull! That's what she was last time! Could this be it? Quickly, not even noticing the giraffe or rabbit watching intently, Jake speedily flew toward the bull. "Jake, no!", called Grandpa. But it was too late. Jake was unable to see the fact that you could see through the bull. It was a hologram. Jake, thus, dove right through it... before smacking head first into an idiotically-planted tree. He was out cold, for now.

Could this mean that Grandpa was the only one left to fight her? Grandpa whirled around, to see Mamas Lyoli, herself, in place of the giraffe. She was laughing quietly. "Face it, old man", she said, "It is hopeless. Besides, my granddaughter Natalie will have probably found the stone by now. Unfortunately for you, it is almost over. So sorry. So now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to create another diversion. And with past record showing, it'll likely end in another win by me. Now, I shall see you soon." She turned to leave.

"Wait!", Grandpa yelled. She turned back slightly, acting if she was only interested in a small way. "Before you go, I just wanted to tell you... stop calling me "old man".", he frowned, "Because you already know me."

Mamas nodded her head as if in approval, "Very good... Lao. You finally realized it. I was wondering when you would. That's right, I was Sharon. But worry not, for I never intended in any way to hurt you. Nor did I intend to drag you into this. Until that Harry Jefferson... well, you know the rest. Unfortunately, I can't have any interference. No offense." And she turned back towards the skies and became a raven once more.

"None taken", replied Grandpa. And he was about to begin following her. Until he remembered Jake, who was just waking up. "Huh, yo! Yo, what'd I miss? Did I get 'er?"

Grandpa smiled slightly, "No. You did not. Now, Jake, I need you to do something very important. Find Natalie. Track her down, and once you do, stop her from getting the stone. At all costs. I will continue to follow Mamas Lyoli. I meet with you shortly. And with that, he was gone, leaving Jake to continue to ponder what on earth was going on.

(End)

Grandpa followed her again. But this time she did not go far. She was still in Central Park, though. And Grandpa was in shock at what he saw.

There was the symbol. It was a cheetah. Didn't seem so hard right now. But then he saw them. All of the animals. There must've been twenty of them. He saw the cheetah, of course, plus animals including what looked like a bluejay, a stallion, a lion, another bul, a hyena, a pig, a dog, an alligator, a hedgehog... just to name a few. But Grandpa was ready. "Mamas!", he called, "Nice try, but I've finally figured it out. I must admit, you are very tricky. But this is the end." And he flew toward the...

END CHAPTER

There it is! Now do you see why I told you all to put your thinking caps on? This may be easy, but if it actually IS hard, then I feel smart! If you think you know the answer, simply review this story and include which animal is, and how you know. (If you don't wanna tell how you know, I guess that's okay. Some people like to just guess, not admit that they guessed, and then jump up and down when they get it right, and when I say why, they say they were right. On the other hand, some people don't want anyone else to know.) So, I'll finish this up, and get going on the next fic, which as I said is "Dragon in Paradise". (Thanks to Terra Nova for the ideas:D ) And also, I LOVE the Dropkick Murphys! I just heard them for the first time. They're my heroes. Ok. Peace everyone.

YFWE


	4. The Revelation

Hey, everyone! It's time for the fourth and final installment of this fic. I know I said the last one was the last, but... I screwed up. Oops. So, I hope at least SOMEONE got the little "puzzle" right, and congrats if you did! So, here is the last (Really, this time) chapter! Enjoy!

"The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli: The Revelation"

YFWE

Grandpa flew quickly toward his victim. What was it? He knew. He flew past the bull... the pig... the stallion... towards... the hyena. Grandpa ran full force into the hyena, knocking it a few feet backwards. It had not been prepared. Suddenly, all the other animals disappeared, and the hyena changed back into Mamas Lyoli.

"How... did you... know?", she struggled, out of breath after being dealt such a huge blow.

Grandpa smiled. "You thought that I wouldn't figure it out eventually? It was easy, once that I knew what needed to be done." And so he explained it. (Just as I shall do now, in case if anyone has no clue how this happened. Ok, we'll use the bull-giraffe matchup as an example. Take the first and last letter of bull. You get "B", and "L". Now the next part is something I just learned this year in freshman math 1. B is letter number 2 in the alphabet. There are 26 letters in the alphabet, and each letter gets the number that corresponds to its place in the alphabet. Now, in coding, there's always a coding process. This one's is "add 5." Add 5 to 2, and you get 7. (Very good!) What is the seventh letter in the alphabet? "G". Now, take the "L". The code here is "subtract 7." L is number 12. Subtract 7 from 12, and you get 5. The fifth letter in the alphabet is "E". So you have G and E. This is where it might've got confusing. An animal name who's first letter and last letter matches that is "giraffe". And bingo. That's how I did it. Try it with any of the others; it will work. The only thing I can say is, if you have, say, the letter "Z", which is 26, and you add, then you simply begin back at the beginning after you get past 26, and vice versa. Ok, I hope that cleared things up and I hope that you are not to confused to continue reading.)

"Very good, Lao", said Mamas, straightening herself up, "I was definitely hoping that I could hold off a little longer, but you can't always get what you want. Ah, it matters not, for I am sure that Natalie has found the stone already, and the shapeshifter dynasty shall soon be reborn!"

"That is what I am afraid of", Grandpa whispered under his breath. "Jake, please tell me you've found Natalie."

(End)

"Damnit, where is she?" Jake had not found her yet. He had been looking for a raven. Was she still in raven form, though? The other end of the spectrum was what concerned Jake. Could she have become another animal? It was likely. She would've known that at least someone would try to find her. Why make it easy?

"So, what are my options here?", Jake asked himself, "I could... keep looking, go home, or try and remember where Mamas Lyoli had said that the stone might be at." He tried to think. "Think, man, think. Where'd you see her last?" He had seen her... flying away from them, towards the streets. It had been right by Spirits, the nightclub/disco that his parents sometimes went to (and also the scene of the fight against Jake and Harry Jefferson in "The Friends My Dad Had"). But why would Natalie be going to Spirits? No kids under 18! He quickly flew off in its direction.

Spirits was closed. As it usually was during a Saturday afternoon, as they got ready for their big party hosted by DJ TerraNova(heh, sorry, I had to put someone's name in there, so why not:D) from 94.5. Jake peered inside. There were many people in there, but no Natalie. Tired, Jake leaned against the stone wall. As he did so, he carefully observed his surroundings. There seemed to be no place that would be housing any stones out in the open, let alone a magical one with an "S" on it. All but admitting defeat, Jake turned to walk back down the street. Maybe Grandpa had better luck.

"Woof, woof", barked an obnoxiously obese dog from beside him. Jake, although not exactly an animal lover, decided to pet it... maybe to make him feel better. He did, and the dog simply walked away.

It was an awkward moment.

Jake watched the big dog walk away, and then caught a glimpse of... the sewer lid. It was partially open. Which was common, except for two things. One, there were no cones around it to tell drivers it was open. It was a wonder no one had run over it yet. And two, there was a single black feather, one that seemed to belong to a bird such as a raven, lying on top of the lid. The sewers led to... well, actually, Jake had no clue. But with clues like this, there was no way he could pass it up. So, making sure no one was able to see him, he slipped under the lid, closing it as he went.

(End)

Jake seemed to fly for hours through the damp and dark sewers. He was in dragon form now, as he did not want to have to walk through the grimy water. But soon enough, he reached the end of the tunnel. He was outside. Looking around, he noticed that he was quite a ways from New York. Looking ahead, he saw a small island. He'd heard about it before. Something like... Columbus Island. Could this be where Natalie had gone. He soon knew the answer. All over the island, was scattered many different stones, of all shapes and sizes. This was it.

He looked around. He didn't see anyone. He just saw... stones. He sulkily remembered when he had to lick the peanut butter off all the easter eggs to find the gryphon egg, (see episode "The Egg") and hoped that this wouldn't be the same. But unfortunately, it looked as if it would be that way.

So Jake figured he'd better get looking. But there were thousands of them! And darkness was coming. He only had about an hour. "Oh, why does Grandpa have to hate shapeshifters so much?", he asked himself, "I mean, how do I know that these are the right stones? Natalie had been headed this way, but..."

"How'd you know I was here?", asked a mystified voice behind him. It was Natalie, of course. And in human form. "You didn't follow me to begin with; how'd you know?"

"I found a raven feather leading down to the sewers", Jake said, proud of himself. At least he knew he was in the right place.

"Well, that's cool. Now if you'll excuse me", she turned toward the island, "I have a stone to find."

"Even if it will take a while for you to find it anyway, I still can't let you find it".

Natalie sighed, "C'mon, Jake! It's not like I'm gonna do anything! Mamas says as soon as we get the stone, we're leaving this city. It's not like we'll be any threat to New York!"

"Sorry, Natalie. Gramps's orders. It's not like I hate shapeshifters. Which reminds me", he continued, "How long have you been..."

"With these powers?" Only about two months. About a week after the whole mixup with Brad and thinking he was the dragon... when all that time it was you...", she stared intently at him, "Why DID you save me that night?"

Jake mildly laughed. "Kinda my job. Usually I just protect magical creatures. But this time... it was just too hard to pass up! I mean, Huntsgirl wasn't letting you out of that building, and as much as I don't really hate her (as I should... I hate this), she's my enemy. As you are now, I guess.":

Natalie sighed again, "You know... as much as I like these powers, maybe... it isn't all worth it. I mean, my life was just fine before Mamas came... and I found out I was a shapeshifter. I'd miss the life I have here at home. I'm not so sure if...", she looked up at Jake, "Jake, I know the stone's here! Let's find it, and then you can take it and give it to whoever you need to. I can live without these powers. I know that it might not sit well with Mamas... but it's not like she's the only shapeshifter left in this world. So, are you with me?"

Jake was surprised. Natalie was actually going to go against her grandmother's wishes... and not keep her powers? "Y'know, I smell a fight comin'", Jake said, "But until then, let's do this."

(End)

"So you see, Lao. Natalie will have found it by now, and the legacy will be reborn!", exclaimed Mamas Lyoli, "Your boy Jake... he doesn't stand a chance! He has no clue where she's gone!"

Grandpa growled. "I wouldn't be so sure, Mamas. How about you take me there, and we can settle this one on one? Winner keeps the stone. Loser... doesn't mess with the affairs of the other. Ever again. So what do you say to that?"

Mamas thought about it for awhile. "Hm, yes, I guess that it would be fitting...", and she changed into a raven again. "If you trust me, follow me!" And she flew away.

"I don't trust you", Grandpa whispered, "But it seems I have no choice."

(End)

"Well, this sucks", said Jake as they continued to search for the stone, "Are you sure it's here?"

"Positive", Natalie said, "Wait, is this it?" She stepped back, so she wouldn't touch it. Jake came over to it, and picked it up. "That looks more like a "Z"", he said, pointing to the small mark on the stone, "Maybe it's a decoy?"

"What? That's an S!", Natalie exclaimed, "Can't you... oh yeah. Never mind!" They both sighed. This could take a while.

Suddenly, they heard the faint calling of a bird... a raven?

Yes, a raven. It was Mamas Lyoli. And behind her... a dragon. Grandpa.

"Mamas! And your Grandpa! What're we gonna do?", asked Natalie in fear, "I can't just tell her that I'm not gonna obey her!"

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!", Jake yelled. But he had no idea what to do. Unless if Grandpa and Jake could fight her, and get Natalie to help as well...

"Natalie!", called Mamas as she reverted back to human, "Tell me you've found it!"

"Uh...", Natalie stuttered, "Not really..."

"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry!"

Grandpa landed beside Jake, kicking up dust and a few stones as he landed. "So... has it been found?", he whispered. Jake shook his head. "Wait, is this it?", Grandpa asked.

"No. That's a Z, not an S."

"Oh. Sorry."

Tired, Jake stared at the ground. There was no way it would be found. And they hadn't even looked at the spot where Mamas Lyoli was. If she found it... wait, a second! What was that? He looked at one of the stones Grandpa had kicked up. "Grandpa, look", he whispered. It was the stone. Small enough that someone might overlook it. The S, that is.

"That's it!", Grandpa whispered as soft as he could, "Now we must..."

"Grandpa! Before we get outta here... I just wanted to tell you... Natalie is kinda on our side now! She wants to turn against Mamas!"

"Really?", Grandpa exclaimed, a little too loud.

"Really... what?", asked Mamas, "Hey, what's that you've got there?" She walked over, and upon seeing the stone, her eyes widened quickly. "There it is!", and she quickly became the raven, and snatched it away before Grandpa or Jake could do a thing.

"Haha! Finally! Thanks for your help, Lao. But I must be off! Come, Natalie!"

"But you said... we'd fight for it! Winner take all!", exclaimed Grandpa.

"Well... sometimes, you've got to make some bargains, eh? Natalie, come on!"

But Natalie was frozen in place. "No... I'm not coming."

Jake smiled. She'd finally gotten it out of her system. Unfortunately, he knew that this was not going to sit well with Mamas Lyoli.

"You... what?", she yelled, "After all I've given to you, all we've been through, you're going to leave it all? And not touch the stone?"

Natalie shook her head, although not looking up at her grandmother.

"Oh, oh, you will touch the stone! I will personally see to it that you will!", and she flew towards Natalie, who tried to duck out of the way. Unfortunately, the stone barely touched the side of her hand.

"No!", cried Natalie. She fell to her hands and knees. Everyone watched as she was surrounded by a brilliant white glow, and then suddenly began changing shapes rapidly. One second, she was herself. Next, a raven. Then a wolf. A horse. She must've changed shapes a hundred times. Finally, she stopped.

She still looked the same. Only she was breathing heavily. And the white glow that surrounded her now resided in her eyes.

"It is done", Mamas said, smiling wryly. "Now our legacy shall continue, forever!"

"N-no...", Natalie struggled, her eyes losing its brightness. "I won't. Just because... I have these powers forever, doesn't... mean I'll use them... for what you want."

"Oh, but see that's where you're wrong", Mamas said. She became human again, and reached into her pocket, and pulled out Pancho's Ivermase wand. "Ivermase... their kind are so... incapable. Incapable of knowing what they could really do. What their full potential with these wands are. And I, for one, happen to know what some of that "Potential" is." She raised the wand, pointing it at Natalie. "Novako!", she yelled. (Heh... that's the name of my band director: with an extra "o" added. :) ), and a beam of dark energy shot at Natalie. Jake, later on, said that he would've dived, but figured he'd miss anyway, because that happened often. (See "Friend My Dad Had") Natalie fell to the ground once more, shutting her eyes, before opening them again, this time to reveal darkness instead of light. She stood up, and faced Grandpa and Jake. She seemed to have no life in her. She was like...a robot.

"Heh heh, this is wonderful", Mamas snickered.

"What did you do to her?", exclaimed Jake, taking a step toward Natalie. But he figured it was for the best to stay away.

"Novako...", Mamas started, "It is such a deadly weapon. It is, in effect, the only magic I really like to use. It, when directed at a certain person, makes that person completely under the control of the person that first said it. I was wondering if Natalie would try to turn against me, as have two others when I attempted to put them through this. One happened to be her mother. Unfortunately, I was never able to close the deal with her. I figured if her mother had pulled this, she might too. And now", she continued, "If I can control her long enough to get into her head that this is what's supposed to be done, then she will continue our family! And as my first order of business, it will involve... destroying you! Natalie! Forward!"

Natalie, this time, obeyed. She began walking toward the two, eyes blank, no emotion.

She was getting closer. "Grandpa... what do we do?", Jake asked. He didn't want to have to fight Natalie, but... what could he do?

But Grandpa didn't seem phased by this. "Simple", he said, "Natalie, although controlled by Mamas Lyoli, is still a novice when it comes to fighting and shapeshifting both. You take Natalie. Do not hurt her. Much. I will go for Mamas. We have... unfinished business to settle. Plus, if we can't defeat her, then Natalie will no longer be under her control. Now, let's do this. "Newlyweds" will be on tonight, and I would rather not miss it."

Jake looked at Grandpa funny, shrugged his shoulders, and began toward Natalie.

"DRAGON UP!", he yelled, and once he was a full dragon, hesitated. Natalie was still human. He couldn't attack her! Somehow, she would have to make the first move.

Meanwhile, Grandpa and Mamas had begun to go at it. Mamas had taken the form of a bengal tiger.

"Mamas", Grandpa exclaimed, "This is not right! Do not keep her against her will! Even if she ill always have her shapeshifting powers, that does not mean that she needs to use them for evil!"

"Oh, but that is entirely what she will use it for!", replied Mamas. (It was strange to see a tiger talking, by the way) "Our legacy will continue! It must!"

Jake was watching this whole fight, as Natalie didn't seem to be doing anything. Why? He didn't know. But what Jake didn't understand was, why wouldn't she be? Unless if... oh wait, that was it! Natalie needed an order from Mamas! Maybe she wouldn't give an order, and there wouldn't be a fight!

Unfortunately, a few seconds later, Mamas called out, "Natalie! Fight him! Wolf!" And Natalie obeyed, becoming a wolf. She was a little more colorful as a wolf, snarling before leaping at Jake.

The fight was on.

(End. There's a fight between this, but I'm lazy and I suck at writing about fighting. So, I'm gonna skip all that. Ok.)

After a while, everyone was at a draw. All tired, no real clear winner.

Grandpa was breathing heavily. How could he beat Mamas? Then he had an idea. He looked beyond Mamas... and saw Pancho's wand. That was how she was controlling Natalie. If he could get it, then the three of them could team up against Mamas.

It could work. It would have to.

"C-come on, Mamas...", Grandpa coaxed, "Too tired?"

The tiger that was Mamas growled, and leapt toward Grandpa. With amazing grace, he jumped over her, and toward the wand. "No!", screamed Mamas, and started toward him. But she was too late, as Grandpa picked it up... and snapped it in half.

"NOOO!", Mamas screamed again. Natalie, in wolf form, was suddenly taken aback, falling to the ground (damn... this girl falls a lot, don't she?). She reverted back to human form, and revealed that the darkness in her eyes was gone.

"Natalie... you okay?", Jake asked, concerned and hopeful she wasn't under Mamas's control anymore.

"Let's.. get... her", she mustered up. Jake smiled. Finally.

"Mamas!", Grandpa yelled triumphantly "It seems that you are outnumbered! So are you ready to turn yourself in?"

Mamas seemed to think about it, but soon said, "Yes. I'd like to end this now."

Everyone seemed to be very glad for this.

(End)

"So... where is she now?", asked Fu the next day. All of them, excluding Mamas Lyoli, was back at Grandpa's house.

"The Council is looking into a punishment. They've been looking for her for years. Fu, do you remember Sharon Reynolds?"

"Your business partner that disappeared a long time ago? Sure."

"Well, that was Mamas. She's been on the run for a while now. But now they've finally caught her", and he turned to Jake and Natalie, "And we couldn't have done it without either of you. Thank you!"

"No problem", Jake said. "Natalie, do you think... you need to be getting home?"

"Well, yes. They probably figured I've just been with my grandma (which, in effect, she had ), so they shouldn't be too mad."

"That's cool. And what about... you know, knowing that I'm a dragon and all... you won't..."

"Tell anyone? Of course not! As long as you don't tell anyone I'm a shapeshifter!"

"Deal", Jake said. They shook on it.

"Well, goodbye, Natalie", Grandpa said, "I hope you may help us one day."

"Yeah... maybe. We'll see. Thanks for everything, Lao." And she and Jake left.

"Wow, I am so tired", Grandpa yawned, "Think I will turn in". But before he could, his phone rang.

"Aw... who could that be?", he asked himself as he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Lao Shei? Hello. Pancho here, from the department store. Was inquiring about a wand that was stolen from me. Any idea what happened to it?"

END CHAPTER

Whew. Finally finished it. Took a while, but I'm glad. Now I get to focus on my new "Dragon in Paradise" story! Maybe we'll see Natalie again sometime... but I can tell you that Mamas Lyoli will unlikely be seen anymore. Okay, R&R, and look for an update on Paradise soon.

YFWE

The characters Mamas Lyoli, Natalie Portman, and Pancho are all owned by YourFavoriteWriterEver. Do not use these characters without the consent of the author. The same goes with storylines.


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